Monday December 22, 2008

A bona-fide legendary club night, and now in its 15th year, Blow Up was the centre of the early to mid Nineties Brit Pop explosion, influencing the style and sound of a generation, and voted No.4 in Time Out's Top Ten Clubs of the 90s. From its original venue The Laurel Tree, Camden Town (1993-1996), to the Wag Club (1996-2001) and then to the Metro Club (2002-2009), Blow Up has continued its long run of sold out nights for over 15 years in an unbroken run. And now, after a seven year residency at the Metro Club, Blow Up will be held here for the very last time on Saturday 17th January 2009, which will also be the last ever night for the Metro Club itself, after which its doors will close forever as a live venue and club (for press release re. venue closure see: www.blowupmetro.com/closure.aspx).

The following week, on Saturday 24th January 2009, Blow Up will start a new Saturday night residency at Bar Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Avenue. This is an exciting move for the club, signalling another new era with a shift back to the Wag-era concept of Blow Up - a bigger capacity with 2 sound systems once again, lights, visuals - and essentially a return to the larger weekly 'special event' featuring weekly live showcases as part of the club itself. Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin and Ian Jackson will be also be joined by weekly guests DJs including some familiar names from over the club's history .

Blow Up was founded by DJ and promoter Paul Tunkin in a Camden pub in Oct 1993. Records were played from the emerging 'British pop' scene (that came to be known as Brit Pop) together with Brit-centric 60s and 70s moves and grooves; swinging soundtracks to Mod Beat and Soul; classic pop from The Beatles to Bowie to Blur. The club still stays true to its early ideals - you will hear a selection of indie pop, new wave, pop electronique, underground 60s instrumentals, experimental grooves and easy listening - all sitting nicely alongside a selection of the current favs from artists such as MGMT and Vampire Weekend. Despite its love of buried treasures, Blow Up remains an accessible yet essential night that is always a great party, week after week, year after year.